Rail brace



July 22, 1924. 1,502,581

J. G. MUELLER RAIL BRACE Filed Oct. 9, 192 2 2 SheetsShect 1 July 22, 1924. 1,502,581

J. G. MUELLER RAIL BRACE Filed 001:. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jinn flfweler,

pj dmh I Patented 11113 22, 1924.,

isezssi P ENT. OFFICE.

JOHN G. MUELLER, or sassdagosm.

RAIL anion. i

Application fileii some 9, 1922." Serial Nb. 593,235.

To all whom it may concern. I I

Beit known that I, JOHN G. MUELLER, a citizen of the United"States, residing at Dayton, thejcounty of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have in vente d certain new and use'fullmprovements in Rail Braces, of whichthe following is a specificantayrererence being had therein to the accompanying ng-H, i

My inventionrelates to manages; I

,The object of my invention iS'tO provide rail braces which may be utilized with rails Without cross ties or special supports for rails as usually-known."

It is a further object of my invention to provide a plurality of units which be assembled'to form a rigid brace between the rails to space them and maintain their alignment; It ismy object to provide such a brace of parts which maybe economically manufactured, maybe light in weight and of such cheap character that if it is desired to abandon the railway it can be economically done because of the cheap character of the material employed in the braces. It is a further obj dot to provide braces which may beused directly on the supporting surface such as rock, hard earth, etc. without the necessity for any special supports under the rails, or any special ties.

It is an additional object to provide a rail brace that may be assembledby ordinary labors Without special mechanical skill. It is a futher essential feeature of my invention that the several pa-rtsare not only economical to manufacture, but'are relatively light in weight, facilitating handling and shipment.

It is an additional object to provide rail braces which may be made out of sheet metal stamping without the necessity for great accuracy. 7 s

It is a further object to provide such a rail brace which may, if desired, be attachedto a wooden block, etc.

Referring'to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation'of a complete assemblyof rails andbraces to "form a finished unit.

.Figure 2 is a plan view ofa unit 'assembly of a rail and braces.

Figure 3 is a perspective of one of the elemerits j' engaging the rail.

.. F g i'isa p rspe iv f assembled s i pwi dhi m le Figure 5 is a perspective of one 'of the clamps jfor-a retaining-flange for attachment to a support. I

igure 6 "s an end-elevation of the assembly of the modified fornrof clamp shown in Fi ure 8.

ram-or clamp for a supporting *flange on either-"sidethereof for attachment of the clamps to a base.

It will be understood that my braces, as T disclosed herein, are primarily designed for use'in light railways such as found in industrial establishments, mines, quarries, on sugar plantations and the like. My invention is particularly adapt-ablcto locations where the soil is very'hard or the supporting base is of rock as in quarries ormines, or blocks areavailable for supporting only portions of the rail and Where ties are not available.

My invention is particularly adaptable in hotmoistclimates where the useof wood for ties is impossible, and where the labor is of a character that it has little understanding of mechanics. It is also highly essential that shipments to such locations be of the lightest'weight possible, both to save eX- 10 and support it.

These clamps are composed of-a side member'll and members 12 with bolt apertures 13and a rail hook 1a whichis adapted to engage the ba'seof the rail between and 11.

As'iwill be seen in Figure 4 two of these members are associated together, one hook ononeside Of'the rail and the "other hook on the other side with the ends 12 overlappingand'the apertures'lg coinciding so that the red 1 m y b9'prai etsd therethra g The nuts 1 and 6 for instance clamp the whole combination together on the rail. As will be seen in Figure 5, a flange may be provided on each unit with openings 16 for the reception of spikes so that if it is desired to mount the assembly upon a block as of wood that may be done and the whole structure retained on the block by spikes.

Where there might be difficulty in the assembly having the edges of 11 and 12 sink into the ground, a continuous double hook or clamp is provided having side walls 17, a bottom wall 18 and hooks 19 spaced from one another, but parallel to each other. This provides a continuous hook of one piece with a solid bottom 18which'prevents the edges of 17 sinking into a relatively soft support.

When assembled, the two clamps as shown in Figure 8 engage the rail as shown in Figures 6 and 7 while the bolt 1 passes thru the trough designated 20 between the walls 17, and th nuts 4 and 6 clamp the entire structure together in the usual manner.

In Figure 9 a broader base has been provided for the clamping books than that illustrated in Figure 8. The wall 17 has been extended into a flange 21 with spike openings 22 which may or may not be used for inserting the spike into a supporting block 23. 21 is continued into an unusually broad bottom 18. Otherwise the assembly is the same.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention suitable and necessary modifications, some of which I have shown and others of which will be found to be within its scope when adapting my invention to varying conditions.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rail brace, a one-piece clamp having side and end members and a clamp ing hook thereon, and a similar member having a hook in a reverse position and its ends overlapping the ends of the first member and means for retaining the said members to one another in an engagement with the base of a rail, said clamps having their side members in spaced relation and the end members of one clamp being directed inwardly toward' the other clamp.

2. In a rail brace, a onepiece clamp having side and end members and a clamping hook thereon, and a similar member having a hook in a reverse position and its ends overlapping the ends of the first member, said clamps having their side members in spaced relation and the end members of one clamp being directed inwardly toward the other clamp, means for retaining the said members to one another in an engagement with the base of a rail, said means passing through the overlapping end ncrebers, and means on the retaining means for engaging with the outer walls of said end members.

3. A new article of manufacture consisting of a strip of plate metal having a rectangular body portion and a hook projecting from one of its longitudinal edges and having its ends bent at right angles to said body in the same direction.

4c. A new article of manufacture consisting of a strip of plate metal having a rec-- tangular body portion and a hook projecting from one of its longitudinal edges am having its ends bent at right angles to said body in thesame direction, said ends being provided with alined bolt receiving apertures. r

5. In combination, a U-shaped clamp member having a hook for engaging the base of the rail or one portion thereof, a second member of similar character having a hook in the reverse position and means in the side walls of the U-shaped members for the insertion of a retaining rod there:

through, a retaining rod and nuts carried thereby to clamp the several members to one another and to the base of a rail.

6. In anew article of manufacture used as a rail clamp, a U-shaped member having one of the arms of the U longer than the other, apertures in said arms in alignment transversely with one another and a hook 1garried by one portion of the U-shaped mem- 7. In combination, a members having one arm longer than the other, said longer arm being adapted to overlap the shorter arm within the longer arm of the respective U-shaped members, eyes in said arms aligning with one another to carry a clamping bolt, a clamping bolt passing therethrough, nuts to engage the outer ends of the arms of the U-shaped members, and rail engaging hooks carried by said U-shaped members for engaging a rail therebetween, the opposite sides of said Ushaped members being adapted to. rest upon a support for supporting the rail.

8. In combination, a pair of oppositely disposed one-piece rail engaging hooks hav ing their members overlapping one another and apertures therein, a rod passing therethrough and nuts to lock two of said rail engaging members to one another to engage the base of a rail and a second assembly of the same character embracing thebase of an associated rail, a single rod being used for spacing said rails and assembling said clamps in connection with either rail.

9. Means for clamping and holding a rail comprising upstanding walls, each wall having a hook thereon and also serving as a support for the rail, each wall being parallel with but spaced from the other wall, means lying between the two parallel pair of U-shaped hook carrying Walls for holding the hooks clamped to the rail, said means comprising a screw-threaded rod With nuts, the rod 1ying between the parallel Walls, and means extending from one upstanding Wall to another to hold them in spaced parallel relation to each other.

10. Means for embracing and supporting rails comprising U-shaped members a1- ranged in pairs, the spaced upstanding walls of which are provided with hooks for engaging with opposite sides of the base of a rail, and means passing between said Walls to clamp the hooks on the opposite sides of a rail to the rail.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa ture.

JOHN G. MUELLER. 

